Im a Taffy from Ebbw Vale, but grew up in London, so England is the first foreign country I have lived in. An ex professional violinist by trade, after I qualified at university I soon moved to Munich, since the conditions for musicians are so terrible in the UK. 4 years in W Germany playing with the Munich Chamber Orchestra. Nice city. Very good beer! There I met my first wife to be, she was also a violinst. But a lot of work, So we moved to Rome playing in the Opera House. A wonderful 2 years, but life is tough in Italy, unless you have a very high paying job or you dont need to work anymore - (La Dolce Vita) -  the best option anywhere around the globe - So we went to Bergen Norway to play in the symphony orchestra there. A country to be avoided. The conditions are a paradise (by musicians standards) But you may find the long dark cold winters killing, alongside the brainwashed mentality of most Norwegians - they think everything is WONDERFUL there, when the truth of the matter is it could be. Norway is stinking rich but you would never know it living there or as a tourist. And the astronomical prices. My first wife died there of ovarian cancer in 1991. A brutal hard time for me. It takes about 18 months to get over. So, some years passed by which time Id had enough of orchestal life, better to starve, live on bread and water, I went into property, buying (with a mortgage) big old houses, fixing them up and renting out rooms to students! I made a fortune. By musicians standards. Came to Thailand for a (ahem) holiday about 2 and a half years ago and on my first evening iin Bangkok met my beautiful Sompong, we married a few months later. I love this crazy country! (see my interview) Were it not for Sompong, I suppose I would be living in Italy in a village in the hills/mountains just behind Genova by now. Not too expensive, I have the advantage of speaking passable Italian.